Matchups, prediction: Blackhawks vs. Coyotes

NHL Western Conference quarterfinals

The Hawks feature a high-powered attack, especially if captain Jonathan Toews (29 goals) returns to the lineup after missing the final 22 games of the regular season with a concussion.

Patrick Sharp (33), Marian Hossa (29) and Patrick Kane (23) picked up the scoring slack during Toews' absence and helped the Hawks finish in a tie for fifth in the league in scoring with 2.94 goals per game.

On the back end, Duncan Keith is a puck-mover who finished with 36 assists while 21-year-old defenseman Nick Leddy added 34.

Venerable winger Ray Whitney led the way in scoring for the Coyotes with 24 goals and 53 assists, while former Hawks sniper Radim Vrbata found the back of the net on 35 occasions, including 12 game-winners. Shane Doan (22 goals) and Lauri Korpikoski (17) chipped in as the Coyotes averaged 2.56 goals per game, 18th in the league. Antoine Vermette, Martin Hanzal and Daymond Langkow make the Pacific Division champions strong up the middle.

A pair of young defensemen help the Coyotes go as Keith Yandle (43 points) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (13 goals, 19 assists) are very active in the offensive zone.

Edge: Blackhawks.

Defense

A rested Keith, after serving a five-game suspension, should help a Hawks defense that was inconsistent at times during the regular season. They were 22nd in the NHL, allowing 2.82 goals per game and the Hawks were the only team in the league not to record a shutout.

Brent Seabrook has had a very strong season and the addition of Johnny Oduya at the trade deadline was a solid addition. Niklas Hjalmarsson and Leddy play different styles but have been steady for the most part.

In addition to the Coyotes' puck movers, they have veterans who log quality minutes and help control the opponents' pace of play. Derek Morris, Adrian Aucoin, Rostislav Klesla and Michal Rozsival make up a deep blue line. The Coyotes were fifth in the league, yielding 2.37 goals per game during the regular season.

Edge: Coyotes.

Goaltending

Corey Crawford had a roller-coaster season but still finished with 30 victories and has stepped up his game down the stretch. Crawford comes up big when it counts and was terrific during the Hawks' scintillating comeback against the Canucks in last season's first round before succumbing in the seventh game. Ray Emery has been very good whenever Crawford has stumbled, but isn't likely to see much time barring a collapse in the Hawks' crease.

Mike Smith isn't the only reason the Coyotes captured the Pacific to snag the No. 3 seed in the West, but he was darn close. The veteran came over from the Lightning to replace the departed Ilya Brzygalov and was nothing short of brilliant, finishing fourth in the league with 38 victories —including eight shutouts — tied for third with a .930 save percentage and eighth with a 2.21 goals-against average.

Edge: Coyotes.

Special teams

Playing with a man advantage was often a disadvantage for the Hawks this season. They ranked 25th in the NHL with a 15.2 percent success rate on the power play, and were even worse at home at 14 percent. During one stretch, the Hawks went 39 consecutive power plays without scoring. Still, if Toews returns as expected, it's hard to imagine a top unit of Toews, Hossa, Sharp, Kane and Seabrook not eventually breaking through.

The penalty kill had its share of difficulties, eventually ending the season 27th with a 78.1 percent kill rate. The Hawks do show discipline, having been short-handed 233 times, the second-fewest in the NHL behind the Sharks' 225.

As bad as the Hawks' power play performed, the Coyotes' fared even worse. They finished 29th in the league at 13.6 percent and had the second-fewest goals with a man advantage with 34, one more than the Stars. Vrbata and Whitney did the most damage while up a man with nine and eight goals, respectively.

On the flip side, they were very adept at killing penalties as they finished eighth with an 85.5 percent kill rate. The Coyotes were even better on the road, with their 88.2 percent mark third in the NHL. A lot of their success can be traced back to Smith's stellar season. He has been the top penalty killer on the ice.